- December 23, 2024
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Janie Ruddy is one of two new candidates for Flagler County’s District 3 School Board seat. Ruddy and Derek Barrs each filed to run last week. There had been one candidate in the race — AdventHealth ER medical director Paul Mucciolo — but Mucciolo has since withdrawn his candidacy.
Ruddy hopes to succeed Colleen Conklin, who is stepping down after holding the seat for 24 years. Ruddy has 13 years of teaching experience and eight years in educational technology. She has been a resident of Flagler County for over 20 years, according to her candidate statement and her website, ruddyforschoolboard.com. Her husband, Tim Ruddy, is an assistant principal at Belle Terre Elementary School.
Janie Ruddy is the director of Professional Learning for n2y, which provides special education software, curriculum and learning tools. Previously, she was a teacher at Indian Trails Middle School and Rymfire Elementary School. She was Rymfire’s Teacher of the Year in 2014.
Ruddy said she would like to see more opportunities created for graduating students to be recruited for direct-to-career opportunities and college scholarships. She’d like to see increased strategic collaboration between schools and district curriculum departments. She sees the retention of teachers as a critical issue and said a positive culture "founded on mutual respect, trust and assumption of positive intent is required for progress to be made."
